tweaking your simon

Tweaking Your SimonAdding a photoresistor and changing code

Instruction by Pete Lewis

Demo over view:

Arduino Software and Arduino hardware

Uploading different code onto the Simon

Disco Mode Code found: www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/203

Adding a photocell and using Disco Mode

Downloading the Arduino Environment:

First go the Arduino website:http://www.arduino.cc/

Then click on Download and follow the instructions

Hardware:

You will need the following:A USB cable, an FTDI Breakout Board,

and six pins of Break Away Headers

Break Away Headers:

Headers come in strips of forty

We just need six for the FTDI Breakout Board so clip off six of the forty by

cutting through the seventh pin

FTDI and Headers:

Attach the FTDI Basic Breakout Board and Headers

Make sure you plug the long side of the headers into the FTDI Breakout Board:

Plugging it All into the computer:

Plug the USB cord into the computer and then into the FTDI Board

The TX and RX LEDs will blink as you plug the FTDI in, this means the FTDI is talking to your

computer

Plugging it All into the Simon:

Plug the Headers on the FTDI Board into the Programming Port on the

Simon

Plugging it All into the Simon:

Orient the FTDI properly, GRN goes to GRN and BLK goes to BLK Also make sure to hold the FTDI at a 45 degree angle so the Headers make contact with all the

ports

Before uploading code onto the Simon:

Open the Arduino Environment Choose your board type and serial port

Uploading Code onto the Simon:

We're finally ready to upload codeOpen the Simon sketch in the Arduino

Environment and click Upload

Adding a Photoresistor to the Simon:

We're ready to add a sensor to your Simon!

You'll need a photoresistor and a plain old 10K Ohm resistor:

Here's the Schematic:

This schematic shows

the three connections

we will have to make

5V, GND and A0

The Simon Analog Pins

The three holes (5V, GND and A0) you will connect to the photoresistor

circuit

Creating the Circuit

Make the photoresistor and regular resistor look like the schematic

Creating the Circuit

Make the photoresistor and regular resistor look like the schematic

Connecting the Circuit

Just prior to soldering your photoresistor circuit should look like

this

Connecting the Circuit

Just after soldering your photoresistor circuit should look something like this

Connecting the Circuit

Just after soldering your photoresistor circuit should look something like this

Bending the Sensor

Bend the photoresistor around so it faces your light source

Insert Your Batteries and Bask in the Glory of Disco

Mode

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